FAA Greenlights Boeing's Dreamliner Fix

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said late Tuesday that it had approved Boeing’s plan to test and certify improvements to the 787 battery system. Boeing says that a successful completion of each step within the plan will result in a greenlight from the FAA and the Dreamliner will resume flying.

"Our top priority is the integrity of our products and the safety of the passengers and crews who fly on them," said Boeing chairman, president and CEO Jim McNerney. "Our team has been working around the clock to understand the issues and develop a solution based on extensive analysis and testing following the events that occurred in January. Today's approval from the FAA is a critical and welcome milestone toward getting the fleet flying again and continuing to deliver on the promise of the 787," he said.

Ray Conner, president and chief executive officer of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, said that the company's focus has been on developing a permanent resolution.

"Working with internal and external experts in battery technology, we have proposed a comprehensive set of solutions designed to significantly minimize the potential for battery failure while ensuring that no battery event affects the continued safe operation of the airplane," said Conner.

"Our proposal includes three layers of improvements. First, we've improved design features of the battery to prevent faults from occurring and to isolate any that do. Second, we've enhanced production, operating and testing processes to ensure the highest levels of quality and performance of the battery and its components. Third, in the unlikely event of a battery failure, we've introduced a new enclosure system that will keep any level of battery overheating from affecting the airplane or being noticed by passengers," Conner explained in a company statement.

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood commented that the "comprehensive series of tests will show us whether the proposed battery improvements will work as designed. We won’t allow the plane to return to service unless we’re satisfied that the new design ensures the safety of the aircraft and its passengers.”

“We are confident the plan we approved today includes all the right elements to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of the battery system redesign,” added FAA Administrator Michael P. Huerta. “Today’s announcement starts a testing process which will demonstrate whether the proposed fix will work as designed.”

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